Fantasy football is a full-time job. The best owners look to fine-tune their rosters every day, but waiver day is the most important. Those of you in deeper leagues looking for an edge should consider the following players, who are available in more than 80 percent of Yahoo leagues. Without further ado, here are the top five waiver wire pickups for Week 6, with a few honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:
- David Moore, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have long been enamored with their 2017 seventh-round pick. When they surprisingly cut Dwight Freeney last season, it was because they had to get Moore on the active roster before another team signed him off the practice squad. Freeney was playing well and Seattle could have used him down the stretch, but Moore’s potential was considered more valuable. Now he’s continuing to cut into Brandon Marshall’s playing time and he scored twice against the vaunted Rams defense. However, there’s plenty of risk — he has five career receptions and is the third option in a run-first offense.
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- Josh Reynolds, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Week 5 isn’t even over yet, so we obviously don’t have much information on Week 6 availability. But Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp both suffered concussions against the Seahawks, leading to extra snaps for Reynolds. He’s worth an add regardless, but he’d be at least number two on this list if we knew for sure that Cooks and Kupp were going to miss time.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers
Valdes-Scantling was pressed into action after injuries to Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison. He didn’t disappoint, catching 7-of-10 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He initially had a second touchdown but was ruled inches short after a booth review. Allison could return this week, but it’s not like he has a long track record of success that will secure his spot on the depth chart for the rest of the season. Maybe Valdes-Scantling won’t earn more playing time and he’s just keeping seats warm for Cobb and Allison, but if not, you’ll want him on your roster before the rest of your league notices.
- DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers
Moore isn’t getting a ton of targets, but he’s producing with the ones he gets. The good news is he just saw a season-high five touches. An elite athlete, Moore has the potential to be a league-winner if he becomes a bigger part of Carolina’s offense. His ownership levels have understandably dropped due to bye weeks, but that’s likely to change. One added bonus is Moore already had his bye. This is certainly more of speculative, long-term add, but it’s worth it if you’ve got a roster spot to burn.
- Mike Davis, RB, Seattle Seahawks
The number-five wavier add last week, Davis jumps to the top spot after 75 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against the Rams’ frightening defensive line. Owners were understandably skeptical of Davis’ big game against the Cardinals, which left his ownership percentage under 20. That won’t be the case any longer. Davis was the 17th-best running back in non-PPR this week (prior to Monday night) in a nightmare matchup. He and Chris Carson have apparently left Rashaad Penny (zero touches) in the dust. There is probably at least one team in every league that could start Davis next week against the Raiders in London.
Honorable Mentions
Free Agent Running Backs
The Jaguars are hurting at running back after losing Fournette for an undetermined period of time and now Corey Grant for the season. Same for the 49ers, who could be without Matt Breida for a while after he was seen in a walking boot after San Francisco’s loss to Arizona. Orleans Darkwa, Mike Gillislee and Jamaal Charles are available. Considering the running back landscape, any of them could be worth an add if they’re signed.
Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina Panthers
The 40th overall pick of the 2017 draft scored his first career touchdown in his season debut. DJ Moore is still the one to own since he’s nearly done more in four games than Samuel did in all of last season, but Samuel is still an intriguing end-of-bench add in deep leagues.
Geoff Swaim, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Swaim caught three passes for 55 yards against Houston which was good enough to make him the week’s 14th-best non-PPR tight end heading into Monday Night Football. Such is the nature of the position. The good news is he’s performed at a similar clip over his last three games. If you’re hurting at tight end and want a guy with a decent floor and a shot at a touchdown, Swaim is a solid choice.
Martavis Bryant, WR, Oakland Raiders
Don’t laugh. Bryant has increased his output each game this year, culminating with a team-leading 91 yards against the Chargers. The risks associated with adding Bryant are well-documented, but he’s widely available and could produce as a boom-bust FLEX.
